It was a sticky 32°C in Brussels over the weekend so I sought out the shade of the Forêt de Soignes/Zoniënwoud. This Song Thrush was doing the exact opposite, sitting with outstretched wings in the midday sun, almost certainly to rid its feathers of parasites. I had hoped to find the elusive Purple Emperor but got to see a Silver-washed Fritillary instead, another forest-dwelling butterfly which is quite rare in Brussels and I have not seen here before.
